Rebels edge Tigers in shootout showdown
RED DEER – Justice was served Friday night at the Marchant Crane Centrium as the Red Deer Rebels edged the defending WHL Champion Medicine Hat Tigers 4-3 in a shootout.
Both teams traded punches early, with a flurry of quick goals setting the tone. Nate Yellowaga cashed in his first WHL goal to get Red Deer on the board, and Samuel Drancak stayed red hot by adding the Rebels’ second of the night. The third goal came from Beckett Hamilton, who later sealed the victory in the shootout.
Between the pipes, Matthew Kondro shut the door when it mattered most, turning aside 32 Tigers shots and both shootout attempts to secure the win.
With the victory over their division rivals, the Rebels improv to 8-11-1-2, while the Tigers left the night at 12-6-3-2.
Stats Story
Beckett Hamilton (RD) – 1 goal and shootout winner
Samuel Drancak (RD) – 1 goal, 1 assist
Jaxon Fuder (RD) – 2 assists
How it Happened
The Tigers struck first with a quick pair of tallies starting with Bryce Pickford stepping into a shot from the blue line that beat Kondro clean through traffic. Just 42 seconds later, Dayton Reschny jammed in another for a 2-0 Medicine Hat lead.
But Red Deer wasn’t interested in playing the role of bystander.
The pushback from the Rebels came when Nate Yellowaga jumped into a two-on-one with Jaxon Fuder, who feathered a perfect pass to Yellowaga, who walked in untouched and beat Tigers netminder Jordan Switzer for his first WHL goal.
UP QUICK, AND ALL ALONE!
Happy FIRST goal, Nate Yellowaga!⭐️🏅@Rebelshockey pic.twitter.com/rP2HSRQxLK
— Western Hockey League (@TheWHL) November 22, 2025
Twenty-four seconds later, Samuel Drancak continued his unbelievable heater with a classic wraparound for his eighth goal in eight-straight games. The game was back on even terms in barely the blink of an eye.
8⃣!
Samuel Drancak is on an EIGHT game goal streak!👏@Rebelshockey pic.twitter.com/M1nHMTax2M
— Western Hockey League (@TheWHL) November 22, 2025
Midway through the second period, Rebels’ power-play pressure paid off when a Tigers defender tipped the puck into his own net, giving Beckett Hamilton credit for Red Deer’s third and extending his point streak to seven-straight.
Medicine Hat answered just 95 seconds later when Kadon McCann tipped a point shot past Kondro.
A scoreless third period forced overtime. And when the extra frame couldn’t settle the battle, the shootout became the stage. Drancak and Hamilton buried their chances, while Kondro stood tall, turning aside both Tigers shooters.
Medicine Hat outshot Red Deer 35-31 and was 0-for-1 on the power play while the Rebels were 1-for-3.
Brandt Three Stars
1. Beckett Hamilton (RD)
2. Samuel Drancak (RD)
3. Bryce Pickford (MH)
What They Said
Rebels Head Coach Marc Habscheid
Matthew Kondro
Notes
Ty Coupland suited up in his 150th WHL game … Jaxon Fuder has points in five-straight (4G, 7A) … Rebels centre Matthew Gard returned to the Rebels line-up after serving a five-game suspension … scratches for the game were forwards Grayden Peterson, Noah Milford and Owen Shadrick … Drancak is tied with Craig Reichert (1992-93) for the second-longest goal scoring streak in Rebels team history. He trails only Arshdeep Bains who ended the 2021-22 season with goals in nine-straight.
Next up
A visit from the Edmonton Oil Kings to the Marchant Crane Centrium is in store for the Red Deer Rebels at 7 p.m. on Friday, November 28 (TICKETS).
